Mt-Maigetsu: Issue No 9
This month's banner by bromithia
CONTENTS
Wassup in this issue?
A/ i/What's New in Minitokyo:
All the exciting stuff in summary! :D
B/ ii/Ask a Mod Mai-chan's Mail bag!
All your questions have been answered :3... not really >_<
C/ The Adventures of Popular-chan
Is she back?
D/ Anime Spotlight
Jigoku Shoujo is this month's anime!
E/ Play that Funky Music!
Mmm, orange-y!
F/ Tip of the month
Brush sets! Yes!
G/ Featured Member
Tamamamama.
H/ Get to Know Your MT Staff!
Chloe-chan's turn!
I/ Staff Picks
Art that deserves more love!
J/ Competitions and Projects
Are you missing out on the fun? Join in :D
K/ Group Ads
Looking for a new group to join, or to make new friends?
L/ Have your say!
Mai-chan wub wub wubbbles PMs <3
M/ The Usual Stuff
The enlightening links to Minitokyo Zen-dom...
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A/ i/RECENTLY IN MINITOKYO...
***THE MT MAINEN: RESULTS!
***MINITOKYO WINTRY WONDERLAND WINNERS!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next Mai-chan special ;)
***EDIT/ DELETE OPTIONS ARE BACK!
That's right! The delete and edit options on gallery items were back recently ^__^ So edit away! Hehe. Remember if you need any help moving an item, be sure to report your item and specify the category it belongs to. Thanks!
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B/ ii/MAI-CHAN'S MAILBAG
Mai-chan's inbox has been busy lately! She's a happy bunny :D
Quote by sailorchiron
1: Would it be cool to get to know elite members as well as mods? I'd love to know more about gaara. Has Maplerose been interviewed yet? I'd like to to learn more about her too. I mean, we all know she's in love with Mwu, but other stuff than that. ;)
MapleRose was interviewed in the New Year's issue of MTM. That's MTM#7 :D
Mt-Maigetsu: Issue No
7
We will definitely interview the elite members in the future :) Requests can be PMed to fireflywishes - alternatively you can just wait for whoever randomly gets chosen ;)
Quote by sailorchiron
2: Do any of the mods keep in contact with retired mods that aren't really on MT anymore? I'm thinking mostly of Nuriko, but bluSake was always a great critic in the Sandbox and I miss him/her as well.
Well, from our exclusive sources (;D), it seems that a lot of retired moderators lurk around in the Minitokyo IRC channel. The scan mods definitely keep in touch with Revan ;) Mai-chan is not 100% sure about Nuriko and blu in particular, but the mods do try their best to contact retired mods! :D
Quote by sailorchiron
3: Has there been any news on what our pretty mascot girl is going to be doing? I loved all the background designs from the contest, and if I could have an MT t-shirt, I'd be the coolest nerd in Oklahoma.
If you would like a T-shirt, the link to buy one is on this classic comic strip shirt-orientated MTM issue :D
... or click here http://www.cafepress.com/minitokyo_net :D
As for the Mascot Girl herself... We learned in February's Mod Interview that Sheqel is working on a new layout for MT. We asked doujinshi artists from a wide variety of styles to draw their own version of the mascot girl for the layout. We are still receiving submissions back, but hopefully they'll be up soon for you all to see! (Some of them have already appeared in the Doujinshi Gallery, so go and take a look!)
REQUEST: IMPORTANCE OF THE SANDBOX
Quote by sailorchiron In the next issue, is it possible to highlight the Sandbox and the role it plays in an artist's development, maybe including that there is no negative stigma associated with using it? I hate to browse the new walls and see that someone's very first wall is going to be deleted for really obvious reasons that could have been avoided if the artist had posted it in the Sandbox first!
Thanks
sailorchiron has been on fire!
Due to this request, we might have a week by week installment on the Sandbox (maybe ;)) but here's your request for this week fulfilled! :D
Using the Sandbox is an easy way of getting feedback. I admit I hate receiving bot messages myself, so it would make sense to do everything you can possibly to do avoid receiving them! (as cute as botChii may sound >_<)
The Sandbox is not just a place to get your work "just within the policy" criteria; it's a place to meet friends, and it's also a place for learning. While we can give you many tips on how to just pass the Policy in terms of quality, we can also stretch it further to give you ideas on developing a particular concept you're trying to achieve, and perhaps give you a broader idea of what a desktop wallpaper is, or whatever it is you're working on.
It's extremely important to understand the basics (the policy, familiarising yourself with techniques to improve the technical aspects such as extraction and scan cleaning) as well as how to apply them to an idea.
Sounds kind of hard, but it really isn't! There will be plenty of people who will be out there and willing to help and look at your work :) I must admit it's a bit freaky to have your work reviewed by several people and possibly having to face criticism, but be assured you're getting the what, where, how/why treatment so you will fully understand what the problem is, where it is on your work, and most importantly why we think it should be changed and how you can do it. These are the positive comments you will receive in the Sandbox.
Comments ideally should satisfy any 2 of the mentioned (what/ where/ how/ why). The mods also monitor the Sandbox to see what kind of feedback you're receiving to make sure that you are getting the right advice.
There is absolutely nothing negative about the Sandbox: you have absolutely nothing to lose, only knowledge and friends to gain. Visiting the Sandbox will give you a clear idea of what you need improvement on, unlike in deletion PMs where you will have to guess unless a reason is specified (and even in these cases some members still find it confusing).
The Sandbox awaits you today! :D
REQUEST: MT CULTURE OF BANNERS
Quote by kokuyuIf you may notice, the culture of "Friendship cards/banners" (an image which has some anime characters with MT members' names in it, as if they are the anime characters there) seems to be quite popular in here. And as far as I know, no other websites has such thing, possibly because they don't have the system where members can decorate their userpages as they pleased without fixed/restricted locations within. If that's true, may I propose that this Friendship cards/banners culture be recorded for posterity? We can also highlight this in informative way in the future issue ;)
Ahhhh yes.
Well, the first ever banner on Minitokyo? No idea xD
I guess it's mostly to do with changing artworks, and a personalised "thank you" which in turn will continue
to advertise the work ;) So if you make a banner out of your recent wallie, people will think "oh what a nice
banner" and visit your page and eventually find it in the gallery :)
Good going with the banners!
Though Misa must warn too many of these banners might possibly be thought of as spam X-P
.... JUST KIDDING!
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C/ THE ADVENTURES OF POPULAR-CHAN
What Not to Do in MT
Disclaimer: This was written purely for entertainment purposes, no offense is intended in any way. This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to real actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Part IX: Hiatus...
When you log on the next day, you go straight to your PM box, almost confident that your plan worked.
However, to your disappointment, your plan failed. In fact, it almost backfired. You got one reply that warned you, politely, that your PMing spree would also be considered spam, and you could be banned if you continue.
Banned! You don't want to be banned!
Okay, maybe this account is lost forever, and there's no way of getting it back. So you should just create a new account and start fresh!
But wait, that means you'd have to choose a new name right? You won't be "POpUlaR-cHaN" anymore. And what about that awesome list of friends? You'd have to start over again too... You won't be recognized anymore.
Just when all hope seems to be lost, you saw a glimmer of hope in a message in your guestbook from a friend you made. It says "Aww, Popular-chan, you're muted... I'm sorry".
Hey, she sympathizes with you! Hmm, now there's an idea...
You decide to PM her, asking her to ask the moderators to un-mute you on your behalf. Maybe they won't un-mute you if you ask to, but if someone else asks, then they might change their mind. In fact, what if many people ask? You are quite popular now, look at the number of friends on your friendlist! So you PM many people, asking them to ask the moderators to un-mute you. You're certain that at least one of them would do it, and that the moderators would listen to them.
And sure thing, you got some replies of sympathy, and a few people agreed to help you. Soon after, you discover a thread on the forum asking why you were muted, and petitioning for your freedom.
Yes! Being popular is awesome!
... or not.
You discover later that a moderator replied to the thread saying that they will decide when to unmute you, and that you should just wait patiently until your punishment is over.
Oh well... you're kind of out of options. Better wait patiently, or else you'll get banned. Guess you'll have to leave MT for a while. Meanwhile, you'll find something else to do, and maybe even learn how to make wallpapers...
(6 months later...)
It's been a while since you've been on MT. In fact, you almost forgot about the place, except one day you stumbled on it again while searching for images. And when you go to your account, you're surprised to find that you're able to download stuff. Hey look at that! You're not muted anymore! Hurray!
Since you haven't been on MT for a while, you have all 5 Free Download Quota, and some credits remaining. Therefore, you decide to go on a downloading spree. Ah, it's good to be back, being able to download these big, clear, and pretty images. Maybe tomorrow, you'll finish some of those wallpapers you've been working on and try to submit them.
Yes, that's right, POpUlaR-cHaN is back!
To be continued...
Article written by MapleRose
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D/ ANIME SPOTLIGHT
This month we will be reviewing the popular anime Jigoku Shoujo, which means Hell Girl in English. The anime revolves around a website that people can access in order to send the ones they hate to hell. All they have to do is enter their name, and, if the hate is strong enough, then Ai Enma will appear, and tell them about the agreement which must take place. This sounds like all fun and games, right? Well, it just isn't that simple. Once a client has entered the name of the person they hate into the website, then Ai Enma will tell them about the contract which must be formed before the given person can be sent to hell. The trick to it is that the client must be sent to hell, as well, only not right away, but just when they die.
Ai Enma doesn't do all of the work herself, that would be too hard on the little girl. A few of her henchmen include Wanyudo, an old man who was previously in the form of a flaming wheel, Ren Ichimoku, a young man who can pretty much watch whomever he wants whenever he wants with his ability to grow eyes anywhere, and finally Hone Onna, who is just another investigator with nothing too frighteningly special about her.
As one can assume, the show probably shouldn't be watched by young children. There is sexuality, drugs, and plenty enough violence to entertain the average action-obsessed teen.
The first twelve episodes or so are just them doing their job, so it can get kind of repetitive. If you are into animes with a constantly developing storyline, then this isn't for you. Every episode is like a new story on its own, as well, and they are mostly, if not all, depressing, so get out those Kleenex! :p
This show is pretty good, although, like I mentioned before, it can be repetitive. So just be prepared for that, and I definitely recommend it to everyone. Well, everyone who wants to watch a melancholic-type anime, at least.
There is also a live of the series out, though I don't think it would be as good as the anime. Someone should check it out and let me know what they thought of it. :D
Screen Shots:
Article written by bromithia
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E/ PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC!
This month, we will be checking out some Asobi Seksu, an American band with a Japanese lead singer as well as name! The name translates into Playful Sex. The album I will be talking about is titled Citrus.
I originally discovered this album while hanging around at a Shiina Ringo forum, where this album was constantly getting reviews (or at least it seems that way,) and so I decided to download it and check them out. After having a chance to listen to the whole thing, I was fairly impressed with the amount of professionalism involved, as well as the good music! Seriously, if you're into the My Bloody Valentine-type music, then this is for you. Even if you're not, they still have some pop-like stuff on there, which even the most mainstream of us could enjoy.
I was thinking of going through the album and writing what I like or dislike about each song, but I would probably be saying the exact same thing for all of them, and that is: they are awesome! When I first got it, I really couldn't get enough of it. And so, I ask you to do the same thing. Go check out their stuff on Youtube (I'll provide some links further down more,) and if you like it, then you should definitely put into consideration purchasing it! It's indie rock and roll all of the way, and these guys really deserve much more attention than they currently have.
Their self titled first album is just as good and delicious as well. I'll add links from that too, so give them a few listens.
And a personal favorite from their first album: "Walk On The Moon"
The album is over at Amazon for anyone who is looking for a place to purchase it. Also, if anyone has a suggestion of music for one of the mods to listen to next month, then be sure to send a private message to Mai-chan.
Article written by bromithia
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F/ TIP OF THE MONTH!
And now it is time to enjoy yet another tip of the month! This time, we'll be making some brush sets! ;)
Tutorial created by bromithia
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G/ FEATURED MEMBER
The Minitokyo staffs would like to recognize Tama-Neko as our featured member for this issue.
Tama started to involve in this community since 4 years ago, as she was a friend with one of MT founders, Kev. She used to provide him and her other walling friends with scans but later, she decided to join MT and upload her scans and walls here instead. An elite member herself, she has contributed alot to the community with high-quality wallpapers, scans and ideas. She has became an inspiring artist for the new wallers.
Tama has great interest in digital art (which explains her never-ending wallpapers), especially in vectoring. She loves reading sci-fi books and also cooking, especially gourmet food and wine. Tama-Neko has already started the latest round of which?waller, a Minitokyo guessing game. Be sure to check the thread for more information.
Article and banner by Gaara-no-shukaku
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H/ GET TO KNOW YOUR MT STAFF!
Hello faithful readers! This month we get to learn a little more about one of our
Wallpaper Mods... Chloe-chan!
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+What was your reaction when you were first contacted to become a Mod?
To be completely honest... I don't remember. I remember being excited when I was asked to become Elite, but for mod... I
think I was on MSN when Bromithia contacted me about it :\
Kidding! (Well, mostly). I was excited and happy about being able to help out more on MT =)
+What is your favorite thing about being a Wallpaper Mod?
This might sound a bit... mean, but I love catching and punishing rippers >D
Also, before I was a mod/elite I wouldn't always full-view a wallpaper which resulted in me missing out on some
delightful surprises. Now as a mod, I full-view everything and never miss out on those anymore!
+What inspires your wallpapers? How would you describe your style?
Personally, I find inspiration in the scans I download. I only download scans that I know I can eventually make a
wallpaper with and things like color/quality/character/position etc etc are things I look for in a scan. Nothing makes
me happier than a large, high quality scan.
Music is also an inspiration. Whenever I open up a scan/wallpaper, I have my trusty iPod next to me. Not only do I get
help from the songs I listen to, but it helps me get through long, difficult vectors. I've actually noticed that if I
vector a difficult scan without my music, the vector comes out messy and it takes me a lot longer to finish.
And then, of course, there are other member's walls that inspire me ;)
+Going with that last statement, whose artwork do you admire?
Psshhaa... this is gonna be a long one.
Members like Candy-chan (oh those glorious clouds!), Nat, tAtEkAnE, Tama-neko and Kalico are just awesome. I admire
Greyserg's patience and uber-fantastic vector wallpapers and Yina is another one for her art. I love her style!
I adore members like Kawaii-chicken and Alterlier for their originality and funkiness.
As for doujinshi, Chubbykitty and rythem are just two members I look forward to seeing new submissions from.
Then for professional art... I gotta say Eiichiro Oda and Okama are my favorite (maybe Oda a little more 'cause of One
Piece). Okama is just so funky. Gotta love him.
+What is one thing that you wish that you had known when you first joined MT?
That the mods aren't as scary as they seem XD
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+Now, it's the time you've been waiting for... Random Questions!
Huzzah!
+What is your favorite season/why?
Summer, hands down. I mean, you can go swimming outdoors, go to the beach, wear light clothing, etc etc. I hate
winter/spring ('cause it's cold and wet) and I don't like fall that much 'cause it means winter's coming.
+Who was your first anime crush?
Umm... I guess that would have to be Sesshoumaru from InuYasha. Bad guys in make-up = sexiness :9
+What do you like to do when you're NOT on MT?
Eat. And sleep.
But other than that: hanging out with friends, discussing music/movies with them, playing video games... stalking my
favorite band members...
+If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?
A peach! 'Cause... um... I dunno. I just really like peaches.
+Can YOU do the can-can?
Yeah, but I can also do the "don't-don't"! Hahaha... haha... ha... *corny*
+What is your latest anime obsession? (Either series or specific character)
GINTAMA! This anime needs more love *Gintama fans unite!*
My favorite anime (maybe of all time?) is One Piece, though. LOVE the characters, the story and everything it stands for, so I still obsess over it. It's one of those anime I download and watch right away.
+What are the top 5 songs playing on your iPod right now?
#5 - Arctic Monkeys - "Brianstorm"
#4 - Scissor Sisters - "Ooh"
#3 - Panic At The Disco - "Nine in the Afternoon"
#2 - AC/DC - "Whole Lotta Rosie"
#1 - Led Zeppelin - "Achilles Last Stand"
Sorry, I haven't been listening to much japanese music lately D:
+What would you consider the best film of all time?
The Godfather - Part I is what I would consider one of the most perfect movies. That, and the fact that Al Pacino was so
handsome in it >_<
(For animation) The Lion King. I still cry when Simba's father dies ;_;
+Which Mod would you LOVE to see cross-dress?
Brom. :|
Oh come on! It would be awesome XD
+AND finally... Do you have any last words before we end the interview?
Don't eat Raisin Bran and play "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" before bed. It'll give you nightmares. Really.
Ok, seriously: don't rip, report low quality gallery items, love your moderators and use The Sandbox! We're here, we
care, and we can help you improve your art!
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That concludes this month's "Get to Know Your MT Staff!" Remember, if you
have a Mod that you'd like to know more about, or would like to submit a question you'd like me to ask a Mod, send it to
me (fireflywishes) via PM.
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I/ STAFF PICKS
At the Snowing Day by YuliaPamela
By one of MT's relatively new doujinshi artists, this one is simply lovely. The soft shading and the colors really go together nicely with the winter theme of the piece. Definitely an artist to keep an eye on! chosen by fireflywishes
tEEn stylE by Sakura-Dust
Funky and fun with good texture and patterns, a great desktop wallpaper! chosen by MapleRose
supper by cremia
Such gorgeous detail!
The lighting is fabulous and the small details on the fur and floor are very well done.
Other items like the food in the fridge, the calendar and the woods outside complete this extremely cute piece of art!
chosen by Chloe-chan
Shinn X Stella by Ban-Chan01
Neat line art, striking use of colours and the slightly magical and heavenly atmosphere makes this vector different from
those we usually see.
Chosen by Gaara-no-shukaku
Do you know of an item you think deserves more love? You can actually PM Mai-chan about it! Include the gallery item and a short reason why you think it's great. If Mai-chan also thumbs up, we'll feature it next issue! Just don't nominate your own gallery items X-P Cheeky cheeky!
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J/ COMPETITIONS AND PROJECTS
(in alphabetical order)
Anime Alphabet Project
Project for Paint-o-Rama: The Anime Alphabet project is still going
on. Make painted wallpapers from series/artists/studios that begin from letters of the English alphabet (as categorized
by MT) and have the entries of the project featured on the group page in rainbowy colours. There are only 5 letters
left!
Announcement thread: Anime Alphabet
The Minimalist Inspiration Project
Simple-ism's project, with minimalism as the theme.
The challenge is to bring life to a wallpaper with less while expressing a clear strong concept - in other words, what
you think minimalist simple-ism should be. Anyone can enter.
Announcement: Full Guidelines (offsite)
UA's the "ONE" Challenge
Project for TheUnderappreciated: There are 4
categories available: one colour, one technique, one color+ technique, one shape. Simply create a wallpaper focusing on
just the one element. There is no deadline- project ends when there are at least 5 entries per category.
Announcement thread: UA: The "ONE" Challenge.
NEW! V~A~F's 'Are You Feelin' Lucky?'
V~A~F group will be having a competition starting from March 17th. The title will be 'Are You Feelin' Lucky? Below is
the information for the competition. This information will be posted in the Group Announcement starting from March.
The contest will start on the 17th of March. The theme is St. Patrick's Day or good luck and good fortune..^.^
1. Must Be A One-Shot
2. Can Use Any Anime of Your Choosing
3. Minimum of 500 words (By that I mean 500 words are the least amount you can have) lol
4. Theme Is Good Luck/Good Fortune --Or-- St.Patrick's Day (whichever of the two you are most familiar with^^)
5. PM you're fanfiction.net or lj link to your story to either ladestiny or myself, HotaruZala; with the PM subject
being V-A-F Contest.
This topic is so much fun to write about so we look forward to seeing a lot of creative entries.^^ Winners will receive a banner for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, plus a special banner devoted to the Most Creative story.^^ Good Luck Minna-san and happy writing! ^^
The entry must be PM to ladestiny92 (me) or hotaruzala.
Group Link: varios~ANIME~fanfics group
Vexel Revolution Project
Vectory is hosting its first project. The aim of the
project is to change the perceptions on vexels and to put it at a higher level than before; and also to provide info and
tutorials on vexels and vector arts. This project is open to non-members as well, and for the time being, the project is
on-going and has no set deadline.
Announcement thread: Explanation of 'vexel' and other guidelines
Remember if you don't tell us it's on, we can't tell everyone else. ;)
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K/ GROUP ADS
A great place for sharing the same love for vectoring in walling <3
Love your dose
of fanfiction? Let the imagination and creative juices flow. Or even if you just like reading, it's worth a visit!
- A place for fans
of the Rozen Maiden dolls!
- The base for fans of Galaxy Angel!
- Where fans Shinshi
Doumei Cross gather!
- A place
for Kira Yamato fans ^^
- For fans of Sola ^^
- Kamichama Karin love <3
-
Can't live without the pen-tool!
- Painting is IN!
- A love for Gundam SEED/Destiny
Gundam 00 Devil is a group for those who love the new series released by sunrise and
discuss each episode with other members.
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L/ HAVE YOUR SAY!
Want to see your group advertised, we now request you send in your group as well as a short summary of it's purpose or current highlights. This will of course become far more useful that an icon alone. Also if you feel there is a group or a member worthy of nomination in the MTM again please PM it. Questions, comments, whatever, simply PM the MTM with the subject MYVOICE.
Remember the MTM is determined by you! ^^
Below are banners: featured member, featured group, a MTM writer and I <3 MTM banner (free for use by everyone).
Feel free to use these banners anywhere you want- signature, group page, userpage or even personal blog/ site! Please
click them to get the hosting link.
Looking forward to your company next month (and keep sending me PMs T.T)
From botchii, with love
Call me Mai-chan <3
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M/ THE USUAL STUFF
All
about the Mt-Maigetsu: requests, ads and features --> To know how to advertise and nominate your group or member
you would like to see on the MTM!
The Policy --> A must read!
The Userguide
--> For day to day living!
Forum
guidelines --> Keeping it clean!
Common problems and
their solutions --> Got you covered!
Visit HeadQuarters for more juicy goodness or contact your nearest friendly moderator.
Links compiled by LittleJonny100
==--== ==--==
(c) Mt-Maigetsu 2007; any part of the Mt-Maigetsu or in its entirety cannot be reproduced in other publications without prior permission from the author(s). If you wish to share the Mt-Maigetsu, simply share the url- thank you.
